Pasta Salad

Penny’s Pasta Salad

Pasta

  • 12 oz. package large shell pasta, cooked with 1 Tablespoon salt and 1 Tablespoon olive oil.  Cook right before making salad and keep warm.

Garnish, Relish and Dressing

  • 1/4 cup minced purple onion
  • 1 large tomato, chopped fine
  • 1 medium bell pepper, chopped fine
  • 1 cup diced sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish
  • 1-1/2 cups Miracle Whip (Southern version of mayo)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 Tablespoons beef bouillon granules (optional)
  • 1 Tablespoon pickle juice
  • juice from one small to medium lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar (regular vinegar can be substituted)
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons dried dill (2 teaspoons in salad, 1/2 teaspoon as garnish)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6-12 oz package spinach, chopped (fresh or frozen will work)

Protein (optional)

  • 1 – 2 cups chopped cooked or canned chicken, leftover sausage, beef, or fish

Make garnish first: Take 2 Tablespoons each from chopped onion, bell pepper, and tomato.  Mix with 1/2 teaspoon dill and 1 teaspoon of the minced cilantro leaves. Set aside for use at end.

Place warm cooked pasta in a very large bowl.  Mix rest of vegetables (what remains after removing the portions for the garnish) together with Miracle Whip, sour cream, milk, bouillon, pickles, pickle juice, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons dill.  Stir this relish and dressing into the pasta shells.  Mixing while pasta is warm seems to distribute sauce more evenly than mixing with chilled pasta.  Let flavors settle for 10 minutes and taste for seasoning.  Add additional salt or vinegar if necessary. Add the chopped spinach last; if using frozen, squeeze out excess liquid before adding to pasta.

If you are using protein to make this a one-bowl meal, add it with the relish and dressing.

Mound the salad in a serving bowl.  Sprinkle the reserved garnish over the top of the pasta salad.  Serve cold or at room temperature.   This salad may be prepared one to four days in advance; keeps well in refrigerator in sealed container (to prevent fresh vegetable odors contained and to preserve flavor).

Carlyn Foshee Chatfield

Adapted from a recipe from M. A. Dunscombe in a cookbook given to my sister-in-law, Ann Chatfield Corbut